Upside Down
by festival-chan loves books
Summary: GaaraxHinata. Gaara's life is turned upside down when Tsunade delivers to him a hunted Konoha kunoichi to keep alive for awhile.
1. And It Begins

I just felt like writing about the Sand Siblings...

I wonder why...

coughcough**I-LOVE-GAARA!HE-IS-MINE!**coughcough

Subtlety is a fabulous thing which I do not possess...

And I was planning on this being a Sand Sib fic but... I don't know... I can't help but write romances. -sighs-. Anyway, it's going to be a GaaraxHinata. A couple I neither particularly like nor hate. It's cute.

-in denial- I AM TOO A NINJA!!!!!!! SHUT UP!

* * *

"Good moooooooooooorning, sleepyheeeeeeeead!" sang Temari as she flounced into Gaara's room and flung open the curtains, instantly filling the previously dark room with the bright sun of Sunagakure mornings. "A lovely day to be a Kazekage, don't you think? I think so!" 

"Excuse me?" said a voice from under a pillow.

"I said, GET UP, GAARA!" yelled Temari, experiencing a severe mood swing that made Gaara shiver- Gaara, who was perpetually protected by the ultimate defense, a moving shield of sand that caused all attacks toward him to fail miserably.

Gaara sat up, slightly dazed looking from the change. He ought to be used to it, he realized. By now, at least.

"Good," said Temari. Then she left, calling out behind her, "I made breakfast. It's downstairs, and if you take too long it'll get cold. And remember, if you don't get totally ready by seven, I can't give you a ride, and then you have to do the swirl-into-sand-transport-jutsu, and you know how well that works over the long distance it is from here to the Kazekage building." Gaara inspected his slightly crooked and short left thumb. It had never been quite right since he'd overslept that one time...

The door slammed shut. Gaara heard her begin a similar wake-up process for Kankuro. He got dressed and walked downstairs, making sure his gourd was by the door, which was where he always put it on arriving home.

Ignoring the screams of pain from Kankuro's room (not being a Sand Jinchuuriki, Kankuro did not possess the sand shield to protect himself from the kunai Temari threw at those who did not wake up on time) Gaara ate breakfast (Temari was a good cook- today was waffles, one of Gaara's favorites even though he was not fond of sweet things).

Kankuro, already weary-looking, practically fell down the stairs and collapsed in a chair, barely managing to state in an understandable way, "Good morning, Gaara," through a mouth full of waffles. When they finished, Kankuro returned upstairs to apply his usual face-paint (no one, not even Gaara, was allowed to call it makeup- _no one_).

Gaara went and sat by the door.

6:40.

Right on time.

He waited.

Kankuro would be arriving at exactly 6:59 so he could get a ride, too, so Gaara would wait for exactly 19 minutes, as always. And as always, he made swirly patterns on the floor with his sand to amuse himself- something that also amused the children of the village. They were forever begging "Would you please show us your sand tricks, Kazekage-sama?" at which their parents would tell them to hush. The people who were afraid of him glared at him and dragged their protesting children away. He always would do it anyway, it was much more relaxing than signing papers, and he might even call it fun to see their smiles.

"Gaara! How many times do I have to tell you? Don't do that!" yelled a furious Temari (as she always did. Every day.). Gaara sighed.

"Sorry, Temari," he said. Her anger was quenched as he pulled all the sand out of the floor. "Happy?"

"Yes, that's fine," she said, relaxing.

6:59.

"I'm ready!" shouted Kankuro, hopping down the stairs and pulling on his shoes at the same time. If Gaara ever laughed, he would have done so at the moment Kankuro did a face-plant onto the stair landing.

He got up, and straightened himself. "Right! Let's go," he said.

Temari led them out, locking the door behind them.

And such was a usual Sand Sibling morning.

* * *

-Kazekage Offices- 

"Kazekage-sama, I apologize, but there are more papers," said the short woman who brought him in a stack to sign. She plunked the large stack onto the table, and turned around to leave.

"That's fine," sighed Gaara, swirling his sand on the ground, and parting it so she could walk back without slipping.

So. Much. Papers. Gaara felt almost like he was suffocating, drowning in paperwork. The door opened again.

A different, taller girl walked in with a large pile, and, bowing, promptly dropped them on the floor with the shuffling sound that papers make. Her blue-black hair (Gaara wondered if it was dyed, but then looked at her and realized that she wasn't really the type for that kind of vanity. Anyway, if she was, she probably would have dyed it blonde. Most people, if they dyed their hair, dyed it blonde.)

"I'm so sorry!" she cried, and looking up at him to gauge his reaction, he saw that her eyes were a pale lavender color, and though for the most part her skin was pale, her cheeks were a bright, embarrassed red.

Most unusual. And more importantly, that was a Leaf headband around her neck. She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place her. Possibly from the Chuunin exams...

She stuttered, "I'm here on b-business from the Leaf, and that woman who works out there asked if I could take these in to you, and she seemed so busy and she asked so politely it would have been rude to refuse and I'm so sorry!" she added again, upon seeing his usual placid-almost-frowning expression.

"It's fine," Gaara said, and, feeling sorry for her, went to help her pick up the papers.

"Oh, no, Kazekage-sama! I can do it, I'll pick them up, I dropped them in the first place..."

He made no reply, simply picking up the papers and stacking them neatly. She didn't look at him, but picked up papers speedily and talked fast. Once or twice Gaara heard her voice break as though she might cry, and he allowed himself the small vain idea that she was scared/nervous/worried because he was someone to make a good impression for, as one of the five great Kages.

"I- I came here in place of Shikamaru... I'm sure you know him... Um, anyway, Shikamaru would have delivered this message but he's on a mission, and, well, um, Tsunade-sama explained is all in the letter, so, um..." She pulled out a small scroll from her pocket. "Here!" she presented it to him holding it with both hands as though afraid it might break and bowing her head, presumably so she wouldn't have to look into his face. Gaara, however, could still tell she was an interesting (at the least) shade of fuschia.

"Thank you, Miss..." She hadn't yet introduced herself.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. It's because I know you already... But I don't think you would remember me... Do you remember the Chuunin exams in Konoha? Um, I know you from them, you were kind of..."

She turned even pinker.

"Strange?" he offered dryly, tilting his head to one side and lifting what would have been an eyebrow, had he had one. "Spooky?"

Biting her lip, she nodded. She still looked like she was going to cry.

"That's fine," he said, dismissing it. He was different now. She surprised him by immediately understanding this.

"But- But you're different now, nice..." she said. "Naruto said so... He thinks about you a lot, you know... At least I think so. He doesn't always talk about you, but, you know, when you became Kazekage... He was so shocked... A little mad, a little jealous. And then... he went and saved you, from what I heard. Anyway, um, he said to say hi."

Gaara was quite pleased to hear this, and asked her to send Naruto greetings as well. She turned pink.

It was at that moment Gaara realized something. He'd never been very good with people, and very few had put up with him for very long (Kankuro, Temari, Baki, and Matsuri being pretty much the only ones that actually sought out his company while knowing his past). Gaara, however, knew enough about people to know that they sometimes developed feelings- referred to as "crushes", although he'd never liked the word, it reminded him too much of his Sand Coffin and frankly, he didn't really want to think of love like that. But this girl was majorly, majorly "crushing" on Naruto.

_At_ _least he has one fan, _Gaara thought, remembering how very little Naruto was liked among his peers.

Then he remembered the topic at hand. He shook his head, as though shrugging off the pause of polite exchanges. "Sorry... your name?"

"Oh! I'm Hyuuga Hinata, nice to meet you, Lord Kazekage!" she said, offering her hand for him to shake. A Hyuuga. Practically Konoha royalty. She was not a Miss, she was a Lady.

Gaara sighed inwardly. Oh, heavens. She was probably sheltered and sweet and all things that women of royalty were supposed to be. Which basically meant she would be annoying. He shook her hand. If that was the case, why did she like Naruto quite so much?

"Same to you, Lady Hinata," he said.

She turned pink at this title, and Gaara figured his assumptions would prove right about the girl.

"Anyway, Lord Kazekage, I was sent here to deliver this message, so, here you go," Hinata said, pulling out a scroll, biting her thumb and summoning... another scroll, which she handed to him. "It's supposed to be delivered in person, and I am really not sure what it is about. She said that you would know what to do once you read the letter, and..." her voice trailed off, and he opened it...

* * *

Ooooooooooh... cliffhanger! What does Tsunade's letter say???????????

Please review! Seriously, reviews make me more eager to write!

Flames are accepted... (although they make me cry in my little emo corner... although if you're right, I won't call it a flame.)... I'm in a good mood today.

-starts dancing-

Thanks for reading!


	2. Should I?

You know, I was going to put a note on the end of the last chapter saying, "I'm not updating until I get five reviews!" And then I thought, "Nah, I'll only get a few..." So I didn't.

But then I gave it... oh, nearly a day, I think, and I had 7!!!!!!

And that's why this is up... I got so many "please update!"'s and even a threat! Yay, threats!!!

* * *

Scrawled in the current Hokage's slightly untidy but still legible handwriting was: 

_Dear Kazekage,  
_

_Hyuuga Hinata, the girl who I have sent with this, is the heir to her clan, the Hyuugas, who I am sure you have heard of. In case you had not heard of their history, however, I shall sum it up._

_Everyone wants their Byakugan. Their history is riddled with attempted kidnappings- attempted being the key word, as the Hyuugas are a very skillful clan. However, currently we are hearing more reports than ever that So-And-So is planning a Hyuuga kidnapping, and currently they all seem to be centered around Mizugakure. This would not be unusual, except for the fact that we have been hearing this story from many different sources, all of which are very reliable. Hinata does not know about this._

_However, the purpose of this letter is not to tell you all that, but to ask for your help. Hinata, although very strong, is currently one of the weaker members of her clan, and she needs protection. We wanted to know if you would keep her in Sunagakure for a while. You would be paid handsomely by her father, and she is a very skilled medical ninja. -  
_

Gaara looked up at Hinata, who was peering into the various books on his shelf. This seemingly shy, quiet, timid girl a medical ninja? And a skilled one, at that? "Skilled" meant one of two things. One, that Tsunade was trying to make her seem very, very useful. Or two, that she really was good, which was high praise from the Leaf's best medic-nin. He went back to the letter.

_Of course, if you cannot take her, we understand. If not, you can send her back. But if you do decide to help us out, you will either have to tell her the truth or make up some mission. Please consider our request, and thank you for your time._

_Also, I have a replica of the summoning scroll Hinata used. When you want to write your answer back, it should be a more immediate method of communication. Write your answer and seal it into the scroll. I will summon from this scroll at one o'clock tomorrow, so please write something and seal it by then- even if it's just a request for more time. I would like to know Hinata made it there safely.  
_

_Good luck and good health._

_Sincerely, _

_Tsunade_

Gaara looked at Hinata again, trying to decide. Luckily, he saw that it was getting late outside, and he had an excuse to not send her back. Which basically meant he had tonight to discuss it with Temari and Kankuro and possibly even Baki. He couldn't just take the girl. Gaara did not make decisions like this lightly.

"Are you going to write an answer?" asked Hinata.

"Not tonight, no," said Gaara. He actually did plan on it, but not here with Hinata. He had to decide first, and he would consult his siblings first, at the very least.

"But it's getting late... I should be going home," she said, looking worriedly out the window at the darkening sky.

Gaara did his best to look aghast at this idea, but he had the feeling he looked like some kind of demented raccoon. "You shouldn't leave tonight," he said. "It's too late."

"Oh- all right," said Hinata, looking like she had been put in her place. Gaara felt bad for scaring her. "But-" she turned pink and stared at her shoes. "I haven't got any money for a hotel or anything."

Looking back on this moment later, Gaara realized that he could have offered to pay for one. He really could have. Money was no problem for a Kazekage, and the hotels in Sunagakure were not disgusting. But apparently, he lost all his common sense for the moment, and said, "You can stay at my house."

She turned even pinker. "Um... That would be-" she hesitated for a brief moment- "nice."

Gaara, in a brief moment of insight that he was amazed at later, especially since it followed such a lapse in judgement, said, "You wouldn't be the only girl...My sister, Temari- she's been getting tired of just being with Kankuro and me."

"Really?" said Hinata happily, and Gaara was shocked- he'd gotten it right. Perhaps Hinata was just different, easy to read. "Yes... I'll stay," she said. "I'll go home tomorrow."

"I'm about to pack up and leave... Would you mind waiting a moment?" Gaara asked.

"Not at all," said Hinata. "And-" she looked hesitant. "Tomorrow- if it wouldn't be too inconvenient or anything- would you mind sending some people with me? Only my friend who came with me- Kiba- had to go home as soon as he was sure I was safely here, most of his family has got the flu and they need someone to take care of them- anyway, we both sensed someone following us, but since no one attacked, we figured we were safe. But he had to go back, you see, once we got here, and since he can travel faster than me I'm sure he's nearly halfway home right now, and since he's really strong and he's got his dog with him, he's probably fine. Anyway... It made me a little nervous. We also kept on seeing suspicious puddles by the side of the road. It hasn't rained for weeks."

Water. Mist nins. She'd already been followed.

They probably knew she was here.

So, which was better for her safety? Konoha, or Suna?

He wasn't sure, so he would ask Temari and Kankuro about it tonight.

"Of course we can," said Gaara, which he had been planning on doing anyway.

"Good," said Hinata, visibly relieved.

Gaara stacked his papers neatly, put his pen back in the penholder (a decorated soup can, courtesy of the local ninja academy). He picked up all the sand that had been tracked in over the course of the day, and dumped it out the window (first checking for people).

"You're so tidy," said Hinata.

Gaara nodded. "I'm done, let's go. Temari'll drive us home."

They left the office, walking down the stairs, and ended up on the bottom floor.

"You! I've been waiting for _ages _for you!" shrieked Temari at Gaara. "At least Kankuro came down and told me he was going to be late!" Turning to a cowering Hinata, she said, quite pleasantly, "I'm Temari, this idiot's older sister. I know I've seen you before, but I am not entirely sure where. Possibly the Chuunin exams?"

Hinata nodded. "I'm Hyuuga Hinata," she said.

"Oh," said Temari. "And what's your business in Suna?" she asked, although Gaara was quite sure what she was thinking. He had to admit, it didn't particularly look good. Late... with a girl... Plus, he had to admit Hinata was kind of pretty.

"I had to deliver a message," said Hinata. Temari's eyes widened. The color slipped from her face. Any idiot could tell she was worried.

"But that was Shika's- Shikamaru's job.." she said, and she had to put her hand on the desk to stay up. Hesitantly, as though she feared the answer, she asked quietly "Why isn't he here?"

"He's on a mission," said Hinata. The color went back into Temari's face. She sighed.

"Good."

Gaara had always known that his sister had something for the lazy genius, but he'd never quite realized how very much it was.

And he was glad that the answer was a good one, if only for Temari.

"Hey, what's going on...?" asked Kankuro, appearing practically out of nowhere. "Who's this?" he asked, pointing to Hinata, who turned red. Temari scowled at his manners (or lack thereof), while Gaara rolled his eyes.

"This is Hyuuga Hinata," said Gaara. "She's here to deliver a message. From the Leaf."

"But I thought that was Shikamaru's job," said Kankuro, frowning. "Hey, he isn't-" he stopped, looking at Temari.

"He's on a mission," she said, looking relieved.

"So, anything interesting?" asked Kankuro.

"Nope, nothing special," said Gaara.

"Oh..." said Hinata, clearly confused. "She said it was very important and it must get to you as soon as possible."

"It was important," said Gaara, looking at Temari and Kankuro in the way that he always did when he could not talk about something with the person right there. "Just not... special."

He did not elaborate, and Hinata looked around confusedly, he presumed, having seen the looks he gave Kankuro and Temari.

"Oh, well, we've got to go," said Temari. "I've got to make dinner before all of you starve!" she said, changing the subject. "Oh, and where will Hinata-chan-" (Hinata blushed at the nickname) "be staying tonight?"

"Our house," said Gaara calmly. Kankuro whistled. Temari's eyebrows went up for the briefest moment, and then she smiled.

"The more, the merrier!" she said happily. And she took Hinata's arm and led her to the car. Gaara waited for the slightly dumbstruck Kankuro to stop staring.

"Whoa..." said Kankuro. They started to walk towards the car. "So you were in your office the entire time with her?"

Gaara nearly killed him. _Nearly_.

"It's not like that, Kankuro."

They reached the car. Temari was showing Hinata all the various lipsticks she kept in her purse, and when they found the girls, they were painted various colors. Temari had on her usual muted-gold-colored eye make-up, and that shiny stuff girls put on their lips (Gaara vaguely remembered Temari referring to it as "lip gloss"), while Hinata had on some pink... blush, he thought it was called, courtesy of Temari, and some pink "lip gloss." Her eyes had been left alone. It looked nice on her, but Gaara didn't really care about that sort of thing.

They took their seats, Kankuro claiming seniority and shotgun, leaving Temari to drive and Gaara and Hinata in the back.

Usually, they talked about random things. Sometimes they didn't talk. But then, the silence was all right. It was just them, the car, and the desert.

Tonight, it was silent.

"Kankuro, pick out a CD," said Temari suddenly, not once moving her eyes from the road. Kankuro, pleased at being commanded to pick, selected one and popped it in the player.

Since Kankuro was the one that made all their CDs on the computer, there was no telling what might be on them, but he generally did a good job of picking the stuff that they liked.

Occasionally, though, he picked strange things, and tonight was one of _those _nights.

_I'll be your dream I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy_

"I'll be your hope/I'll be your love/ Be everything that you need!" sang Temari loudly (and slightly off-key).

"I love you more with every breath/ Truly, madly, deeply do!/ I will be strong- I will be faithful 'cause-" This wasn't Temari's upper-alto voice. This was more of a soprano, higher, more... Hinata. And sure enough, when Gaara looked over, she was singing.

After Temari got over her initial shock that she wasn't the only one singing (as was the usual case), she sang with Hinata.

"I'm countin' on a new beginning/ A reason for living/ A deep-er mean-ing, yeah..." They sang together. Gaara just stared out the window, half-listening to the words as they sang the entire song.

"You sing well," said Temari to Hinata.

"Thanks... You do too!" said Hinata.

Gaara had a flashback of the scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where the girl says, "Let's be friends," and the other one says, "Best friends," and, taking each other's arms, they both look away, making a face.

It was like that, only they didn't look away and make faces at the ground. They really actually liked each other.

Sickly-sweet. But nice and foreshadowing good things.

Gaara didn't really mind, but perhaps Temari would end up moving to Konoha one of these days. Unfortunately, she seemed to like the people there much better.

The next song was another one of the techno-pop-perky ones that Temari really liked, and apparently, Hinata did too. In fact, it turned out that the entire CD was that sort of thing, and it continued until they got home.

* * *

Talk about fluff... I love that Truly Madly Deeply song... Mostly because I'm in a good mood today. 

Please review... It makes my day a lot better, and as you can see, I post things faster, although the next chapter should take longer... I'm sorry. It's just that I haven't written pretty much all of it yet.

Oh, and I must admit that I sort of took my idea for the summoning scroll from Harry Potter... you know, like the fake Galleons the DA used? Yeah.

Anyway... It'd be nice to get a review on this. I've got a little bit of the next chapter up, so I should post it in a little while. But it's kind of hard... This is going to be sort of long-ish, I think.

* * *


	3. And She Finds Out

I guess that a lot of this takes place in Gaara's head.

Oh, well. More action will come later.

This fic is four days old, three chapters long, and has FOURTEEN REVIEWS!!!!!!

That. Is. _ So. Cool_!!!!!!!!

-dances-

* * *

Temari flung open the door. 

"I'm hoooo-oooome!" she yelled, at the top of her lungs, the way she did every night.

"Is there anyone else here?" asked Hinata, looking around confusedly.

"Oh, no one but us," said Temari cheerfully.

She then sauntered away towards the kitchen.

Hinata looked at Gaara and Kankuro, still perplexed.

"She likes to say that," said Kankuro. "It's because... I dunno, when we were younger and didn't go to work with her, we used to answer. I don't know why she says it now..." He trailed off thoughtfully.

It was silent for a moment.

"Hey, Hinata! Would you help me with dinner?" called Temari. Even though he was pretty sure Hinata thought Temari was more than a little crazy, he was also sure that they were pretty good friends already and Hinata didn't care.

"Sure!" said Hinata happily, and she raced off towards the kitchen, clearly glad to leave the boys to join Temari. Twice in one day had Gaara been right about someone.

That had to be some kind of record. Or impossibility.

He looked out the windows, checking for a possible invasion, or even the end of the world, but from the lofty views his house, perched on the best spot on one of the higher cliffs (being the house traditionally belonging to the Kazekage), quiet nighttime Sunagakure was still quiet nighttime Sunagakure. Peaceful.

"What are you doing?" asked Kankuro.

"Nothing," said Gaara.

A moment's silence.

"I've got to go take off my make- _face paint_," Kankuro hastily corrected himself.

Kankuro was always very, very amusing. Gaara decided not to tease him. The village elders would not take too kindly to the death of their Kazekage, especially with the murderer being his brother.

Said brother dashed off, and Gaara was left alone in the living room, where he sat in quiet contemplation of a book he'd found (entitled _Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone_. Temari had read it often and even more frequently proclaimed its genius, and it looked pretty good, even though he wasn't much of a fantasy-book reader.)

"What are you reading?" Gaara jumped, ever so slightly. It was barely even a twitch. Still, he was horrified at himself.

He should have sensed her. He really should have. What kind of ninja didn't sense someone coming? Exactly how had he survived those horrible six years from age 6 to age 12 not having sensed someone coming? He didn't, that was how. It had come to be a skill of his, something he was good at. So how could he not sense her? She had to have been just a Chuunin.

"Harry Potter," he said.

Hinata's face took on a less curious and more excited look. "Oh! Do you like it?"

Gaara had to admit it was a pretty good book, and he did so aloud.

"That's good," said Hinata, smiling. "I love those books!"

"There are more?" asked Gaara. He'd gotten close to finishing the first.

"Oh, yes, one for every school year of his. Seven total."

"Huh." He'd have to look that up.

"I bet your sister has them. She's a really big fan, too."

"Oh."

"Anyway, dinner is ready, Kazekage-sama," she said politely.

"Gaara," he said.

She blinked. "What?"

"Gaara," he repeated. "Call me Gaara. It is my name, after all."

She still looked a little confused.

"They called my dad Kazekage-sama... And I hated him. Plus, he's dead," he informed her with the tone that he used when saying he had a lot of paperwork, or the temperature outside was unusually blistering.

"Oh... I apologize, Gaara-sama," she said.

"I like that, too," he said facetiously. She blushed.

He hadn't really meant it... Oops.

Remind him to never make a joke again.

"Kidding," he sighed.

"Oh!" she said, and smiled.

Did this girl have _no _backbone?

Well, to be honest, he wasn't really the outgoing type, which probably wasn't helping.

"Did you say dinner was ready?" he asked, feeling odd about leading a conversation for once.

"Yes, I did."

Gaara, feeling that politeness was the best route here, tried to remember his lessons in hospitality to visiting nobles from his early days as a overly taciturn Kazekage. Now he was a polite, taciturn Kazekage.

"May I escort you?" he asked.

Or maybe his teacher had said that that was the best way to get a girl to like him...

No matter. She pretty much loved Naruto anyway, he thought.

"Yes, thank you," she said, and took his arm.

_This is more than a little strange_, he thought as they walked to the dining room.

"Finally!" said Temari. "We were about to start without you." She gave Gaara a strange look. Hinata let go of his arm and sat down.

He sat down next to Temari at their little table, overly roomy with three, and somehow overly crowded with four.

"Itadakimasu!" they said in unison, and ate.

Temari blabbed on about the food, Kankuro shoveled it in with manners unfitting to the brother of a Kazekage and the son of another. Hinata carefully took bites, the polite daughter of nearly royalty as she was. Gaara, as having status that really as close to royalty as one could get, also ate politely.

After some small talk and much eating, everyone sort of went their separate ways. It had been decided that Hinata would sleep in the spare room, and Temari showed her the layout of their house. Kankuro went to work on his puppets. Gaara went to think about the Hokage's request.

* * *

45 minutes later, still having yet to reach a conclusion, Gaara went to find Temari. Since Kankuro was sort of stupid about these types of things, he would ask him later. 

He made his way to his sister's room and stopped outside the door, for that was the boundary of the forbidden territory that was a Girl's Room.

"Temari?" he asked. She jumped up from her book.

"Yeah, Gaara?" she asked.

"The Hokage sent me a request today," he said, holding out the scroll to her.

She took it. And read it. And reread it.

"Whoa, Gaara... this is a big thing," she said slowly.

"I know, that's why I asked you."

She nodded.

"Well, I see no reason why we can't," she said, slowly again, as though she was trying to figure out whether this was good or not. "Do you have a problem?"

Gaara thought. "These people know she's here," he said, quietly.

Temari's eyes widened. "How? And more importantly, how do _you _know?"

"She asked about having some people with her when she went back tomorrow. Apparently, there were people following her."

His sister gasped. "Well, she's gotta stay here, then! I won't let you send her back... How could you even have been considering it?!?!"

"Well, since that's settled," said Gaara. "Guess I better go tell Kankuro now." He left the doorway, turning to the hall.

He nearly cursed aloud.

Standing in front of him was Hyuuga Hinata, looking worried. And also... a little... angry?

"Gaara-sama," she began, a little coldly, and also a little scared. If those two descriptions even went together. Gaara wasn't sure they did, but they were the words that he had for the expression Hinata had on her face. "Please tell me what's going on."

* * *

Bwahaha! 

This is a little shorter than most of my chapters are. I'm sorry...

But do not fret, reader... I'm not planning on posting this until I have a lot of the next chapter already done. So now that you're reading this, I have a lot of Chapter Four done! It will be up this weekend if I deem it worthy. Currently, though, I think it needs editing.

Anyway, review, please. Reviewers get cookies!!!

Would someone like to beta for me? I am quite lost as to whether my next chapter is lame or not... I'd rather not post it if it is (stupid, I mean). I would very much like to fix it first. So if you are good with grammar and stuff and plots, please help me out.


	4. The Fuzzy Raccoon Pajamas

Dedicated to my beta... who never actually beta-ed because she kind of left FF forever... and is now no longer my beta...

Sorry it took me so long... I am trying. But... you know, the insanity that is school. Come to think of it, I actually post more now, though... because I am majorly procrastinating. Hehe. Oh wells. School rules my life, pretty much. Pre-IB and all.

* * *

"Gaara-sama," began Hinata, "Please tell me what's going on. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but... I came up here-" Gaara did not listen to her excuse. He had other things to think about. 

For one thing, once again he'd failed to sense her coming. What _was _this?

Oh, well. Now he had more pressing matters to deal with.

"Gaara?" asked Temari from her room. "Oh..." she said, coming up behind him.

"Who's following who?" asked Hinata, more firmly this time. Gaara was quite sure she already knew the answer, judging by the look on her face.

"Mizugakure nins," he said. "Or so the Hokage thinks."

"Why hasn't anyone told me?" asked Hinata, with something other than worry on her face. Gaara thought it might be anger, but he couldn't really imagine an angry Hinata. It was probably like an angry bunny... Or some other small and fluffy little animal.

"They didn't want to worry you," said Temari. "They weren't sure."

"So... Mizugakure?" asked Hinata.

"Yes," said Gaara.

"May I- May I see the letter?" Hinata asked, sounding fearful but looking bold and a little angry.

Gaara nodded, and summoned it.

"Here you are."

She read the letter, eyes widening at certain parts, and frowning in what was probably anger at others. Then she smiled.

"Thank Tsunade-sama for me tomorrow... Her praise was most high."

Gaara nodded.

"Have you decided?" she asked.

"Yes," said Temari. "We would like you to stay here."

"Please explain your reasoning," said Hinata. She looked unhappy with the idea.

Gaara could understand. Probably to her, it felt like she was hiding from Mizugakure.

She sort of was.

"It's safer," said Temari.

Hinata frowned.

"Not if they know I'm here, which they do, apparently."

"Hinata, have you ever seen Gaara's sand shield in action? Not to mention you have your Byakugan. In fact, since they know you're here, they'll probably come here. If it were me, I would prefer to be with someone with a pretty much ultimate shield."

"My cousin," Hinata said.

"Huh?" said Temari.

"My cousin has a better shield," she said.

"Your cousin's shield protects only him," said Gaara, and she made a face, clearly unhappy that he remembered how it worked. She'd obviously been hoping neither would remember, so she could go home and not hide. "I remember it. It is useful when fighting to protect oneself. Not so much other people."

Hinata folded her arms.

"Hey, what's up?" said Kankuro, coming into the hall. "I heard arguing!"

"Hinata's been sent here by the Hokage for protection, but she didn't know," explained Temari.

"So she's staying here?" said Kankuro.

"No," said Hinata.

_Yep, angry bunny_, thought Gaara.

"Yes," said Temari.

"What's the Kazekage say about all this?" asked Kankuro, looking at the aforementioned leader, who was wishing he was better at sensing when people came. "Gaara?"

"You're a medic nin, are you not?" asked Gaara. Hinata nodded, still glaring at them. "Well, then, you must stay," he said decisively. Her jaw dropped open. She snapped it closed and regained her composure.

"What does my profession have to do with anything?" she asked coldly. "You can't just decide things like that. Even if you are the Kazekage."

"Konoha has very advanced medical technology. Technology Suna lacks. According to Tsunade, you're a very accomplished medic. You could help us out. And in return, we will try to protect you from Mizugakure attacks. They'd have some trouble out in the desert," he added thoughtfully. "Water and deserts don't go well together."

Hinata shook her hair back, getting her bangs out of her face. "Is that why you invited me here tonight?"

"Yeah," said Temari.

"Hmph," said Hinata. She said in an annoyingly self-righteous voice, "I don't know if I can just give out information like Konoha's medical research... I mean, you did break a treaty several years ago... The Hyuugas don't put much faith into treaties." Gaara called her bluff (like the Hokage wouldn't give out her information to Suna... The two Kages were on pretty good terms- Gaara would trust Tsunade with his life).

"I'll ask the Hokage tomorrow," Gaara said, feeling a slight smirk come across his face. He'd won. "If not, well, then you can go home."

"I will hold you to that," she said.

"I expect nothing less of you, Lady Hinata."

"Good."

"Good."

"Good-night. I'm going to bed," said Hinata, and she turned around and walked off.

"The same to you."

All three Sand Siblings watched her walk away down the staircase.

"Interesting," said Temari.

"Well," said Kankuro. They looked at Gaara.

He made no comment upon what had just happened other than, "Tomorrow will be a long day. I suggest that we go to bed now."

"Good idea," said his siblings, almost simultaneously, and they turned around and went to bed.

Gaara, turning towards his own bedroom for what seemed to be another moderately sleepless night (perhaps several hours), decided that he very much liked being the Kazekage.

Power is fun...

* * *

That morning, instead of waking up to "Helloooooooooooooooo! Goooooood morning!" as usual, instead woke up to, "Good morning, Hinata!" 

At first, he wondered vaguely who Hinata was.

Then he remembered the day before, and Hinata herself.

He got out of bed, and stood up to shut his door to change, only to find... Hinata.

"Sorry," she said, bowing her head and blushing at his pyjama'd state. "Temari sent me up here to wake you up... I didn't realize you were already awake."

"It's fine," said Gaara, wishing he was wearing clothes instead of his pyjamas, which happened to be something Temari had bought. It got cold in the desert at night, so she'd insisted upon his wearing warm fluffy patterned top and bottom set-thing. With raccoon patterns on it.

Little, fluffy, cute raccoons.

Kankuro's were just plainly colored. Why couldn't he have gotten the just plainly colored ones? "It's so I don't confuse them." He mimicked Temari in his head, then remembered that he was actually carrying on a conversation at the time.

He turned his thoughts back to Hinata and what she was currently saying.

"Okay... And..." She looked up at him. "I'm really sorry about last night... You were offering to help me. I guess my dad was paying you, but... Kages don't just offer their homes to anyone that needs it. So I apologize, and I will accept your offer of help. Just one thing..."

"Yes?" said Gaara.

"I don't want to be a burden. I want to help. I will train your medic nins."

"Please do," said Gaara. She turned around, and he nearly shut the door, but he heard her voice, and left it open, looking out. She'd walked nearly all the way down the hall.

"And one other thing..." She had a falsely innocent look on her face.

"That would be..." He didn't trust her right now...

"Cute pyjamas!" she giggled, and disappeared out of sight.

He looked down at his pajamas and realized that Shikamaru was probably right.

Women were completely troublesome.

* * *

-glomps teh Gaara with teh fuzzy raccoon pyjamas-

Gaara: "Get off, please."

Me: "Hmmmm... No."

Gaara: "Why not?"

Me: "Because."

Gaara: "..."

Hinata: "Shouldn't... you know... I be doing the G-gaara-sama-glomping here? This is a GaaHina story, after all, Matsuri-chan..."

Me: "But... that's in the story... You can glomp Gaara later. When you're dating. Right now, he's mine!"

Gaara: -twitch-

Me: "Tell you what. If I get a bunch of reviews for this chapter, then maybe I'll let you have him next chapter!"

Hinata: -punches air- "WOOHOO! HE'S MINE, SUCKER!" -blushes and looks around at people reading- "Er, p-please review!"

Gaara and me: -back away slowly-

Gaara: "Oh, and Matsuri has a poll up on her profile. Vote for me." -makes gourd painfully obvious-

Me: "It's your favorite Hinata pairing! Come on, people, I need more votes!"


	5. A Day In The Office

After an incredibly hectic morning which involved a misunderstanding of who was watching breakfast cook and a narrow miss or two (for the house- the food was a lost cause), they all arrived at the Kazekage building after buying a bunch of pastries at a nearby shop.

9:45 found Gaara writing a reply to the Hokage.

_Hello, Hokage-sama,_

_We are perfectly willing to take her, but Hinata found out what was going on inadvertently. She didn't like it at first. However, she has decided to stay on one condition- that she has a job._

_She has requested that this job be teaching Suna nin about Konoha medic techniques. If you allow this, of course._

_Also, it is possible that they know of her removal from Konoha. She claims to have sensed ninja following her. Did Inuzuka Kiba arrive safely? Lady Hinata is worried. _

_Please write back as soon as possible. I will probably check the scroll by three. Let me know then whether you will not allow this, allow it, or have not decided._

_Farewell,_

_Gaara_

"Good," said Hinata.

"I think so," said Gaara. He sealed it into the scroll, adding, "She should check it in three hours, unless I know her, in which case we should get a reply in-" he glanced at the clock- "20 minutes or so."

Hinata smiled. "Tsunade-sama is impatient," she said, walking over to and sitting in the chair specially reserved for someone visiting him.

"Very."

She laughed. Gaara went back to paperwork (the cursed thing).

A silence followed. She fidgeted in her chair- a much better one than the ones that were downstairs. It was wooden, with nice arms and cushions. It was also large enough that a smaller person like her could sit cross-legged on it. Currently, she was shifting from cross-legged to crouching on it to sitting normally.

"Are you bored?" he asked, trying to be nice. "There's books over there. And you could go somewhere else, you know. Temari's downstairs, and she doesn't do paperwork. I just put her in charge of making sure everyone gets done with whatever they're doing, and also approving things that need to be approved and not necessarily by me. Kankuro is somewhere else as well. You could probably help him out- he's the guy that has to fill in for people when they're not here. Even that is less boring than paperwork."

She blushed at being noticed. "Oh, no," she said. "I'm fine. I might read, or something." She got up and perused his book collection.

Gaara sighed. Her choice. She sat down with an _extremely_ compelling (cough, sarcasm, cough) romance book that a misguided fangirl had sent to him. Temari had laughed and made him keep it. He knew, though, if he tried to chuck it out the window or down the nearest toilet as his instincts dictated, Temari would skin him alive so fast even his sand would not protect him.

Hinata seemed very interested in the book, for the five minutes she read it.

She then put it down with a perturbed look on her face.

"Interesting," she said. Gaara thought she was being... generous about the book, but waited for her to say something else. She had that sort of a look on her face. "It's been twenty minutes, Gaara-sama."

Oh, right. The letter. He nodded. That had to have been the longest twenty minutes of his life. "I'll check the scroll."

"May I read the letter, as well?" she asked as he summoned it.

"I believe I ought to read it first," he said. "Of course, I will show you if I believe it is worth it."

"All right," she said. He opened up the scroll and studied it.

_Kazekage-sama,_

_Hyuuga Hiashi and I are deeply grateful for your aid. It would seem that she is not the only target they considered, but since she is with you, we are able to step up the protection around her relatives._

_Of course your ninja can learn Konoha techniques. If Hinata feels that it is necessary for her to do something, that is a perfect cover-up. You may also want to disguise her, as a Hyuuga is very recognisable. Contact-lenses would be adequate._

_Inuzuka Kiba was detained by a fight, but he incapacitated the ninja following him and brought them back. They are currently under questioning and are nowhere near the top of the organization attempting to get the Byakugan. We may send extra protection, although currently it seems that Suna nins are more than capable enough for the job. And Inuzuka Kiba is fine, practically unharmed. _

_Once again, thank you. _

_Tsunade_

Gaara wondered if Hinata would mind that her relatives were possible kidnap victims.

Well, he would mind if Temari and Kankurou were, so he assumed that yes, she would in fact mind it very much.

"May I read it?" she asked.

Well, since hiding things from her didn't work the first time… Gaara was no fool. If something didn't work once, it was safe to assume it wouldn't work if you tried it again.

He handed over the letter.

Once again, he attempted to guess what she was reading as she read it. Her facial expressions were interesting.

She handed it back to him.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "I am glad my relatives are safer."

Gaara didn't really care about her relatives, but he was glad that she was glad. After all, if she hated him… it would be not good. She was staying at his house, after all. Angry women were… a bad thing. Temari being a good example.

"Good," he said, choosing a generic answer on purpose. "I'll write a reply later."

"Okay!" said Hinata, and went back to the book.

Several minutes later, the door flew open, and Temari stood there, fan in hand.

"Hey, Gaara, Hinata," she said, walking in. "Me'n Kankurou are going out to lunch. Wanna come?"

"Yes," said Gaara. "Hinata?"

"Yes!" said Hinata happily, jumping up eagerly and placing the book down while tripping over the small table next to her chair. Gaara was amazed that one person could do all that in just one movement.

He supposed she was definitely excited… After all, she was getting to leave the office, which was pretty spacious and nicely decorated but dull and boring unless one was working, in which case they didn't really care.

"C'mon, Gaara!" said Temari, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him up out of his chair.

She dragged him to the car, and placed him in the backseat with Hinata.

"You two sit here, Kankurou's in a really bad mood and since he likes the front seat, I'm hoping he'll be more polite when we go to lunch if I give it to him. You two stay right here, I've got to get him."

And she left, leaving Gaara and Hinata alone.

* * *

Hinata: "Reviews will make Matsuri-chaaaan happier! And she'll be more likely to write- or post. Chapter Six is nearly done! So please review! Oh, and take the poll on her profile- she's not posting until it gets at least another vote. Or she gets a couple of reviews, at least. Please review! I- I want to g-glomp...g-glomp Gaa-" BOOM! -explodes of embarrassment-

Taylor: -glomps Gaara, who is randomly in the fuzzy raccoon pajamas again and depressed because Hinata exploded-

Gaara: "Didn't I change out of these?"

Me: "Yeah, but now you're wearing them again?" -goes looking for Gaara plushie-

Taylor: "Because we wanted you to!"

Gaara: -glares at Matsuri (me)- "You're not gonna glomp me again, right?"

Me: "It's Taylor's turn today." -clutches plushie Gaara as substitute for the real one-

Gaara: "You... take turns?"

Taylor and me: -nod happily-

Hinata: -healed from exploding, hesitates- "... Is it my turn yet?"

Taylor: "No."

Gaara: "Can you get off of me now? And can I put on my Kazekage robes yet? And next time can... someone else-" -furtive glance at Hinata- "-glomp me?"

Taylor and me: "No!!!!!!!"

Me: "Although maybe another reader can have a chance! Just ask!"

Yes, I do mean that, and please ask clearly- For example, "Can I glomp Gaara in the next chapter????"


	6. Silence

Chapter Six... ain't you excited?

* * *

"So..." began Hinata awkwardly. "What's your favorite type of music?" 

She said it and immediately regretted it.

Hinata had asked some pretty dumb questions in her life, and this was definitely one of them. Really, where had that come from? She was absolutely embarrassed. He was probably going to think she was a fool, though.

Gaara seemed to be considering it, though.

"I like... rock music, I suppose. I don't ordinarily listen to music. Do you have a particular favorite?"

"I... I like pretty much anything, it depends on the mood I'm in..."

"Well, what sort of a mood are you in right now?"

"I think... um..."

"You _think_?"

He gave her a hard, cold stare. His eyes were perfect for that- the eerie blackness around them and the contrast with the icy pupils made for a terrifying gaze. She supposed that this glare was often used against particularly stubborn or unpleasant diplomats. It was no wonder the Kazekage was so feared.

That, and that whole sand-controlling thing. That had to be pretty terrifying.

"I... I don't know!" Alone with the Kazekage, her strength and determination were faltering. He was cold and sort of scary. Although she knew he was good, she still couldn't stand up when pressured and alone. With Temari there yesterday, she'd been fine, but just her and the Kazekage? She was lost when alone.

"Rock, pop, techno, dance, alternative, and probably more... It's not such a hard choice. You don't stand up well to pressure, do you?"

"No!..."

She was seriously about to explode, so he let up. It wouldn't do for Konoha-Suna relations if he accidentally caused the Hyuuga heiress to spontaneously combust of embarrassment.

"Sorry, Lady Hinata. You don't need to be quite so scared of me. I'm really not that terrifying- unlike some people, I don't bite."

Her lips twitched up for just a second, and Gaara triumphed inside. As for Hinata, she was freaking out still- how could someone so polite yet be so terrifying the next second? But he had been funny.

"So, do you have a particular favorite type of music? You don't need to freak out, it's just a question."

"I..." She decided to be decisive. "I like pop music. And dance. Like the CD Kankuro played last night."

Gaara didn't really want to be reminded of his brother's strange taste in music, but he accepted the answer nonetheless.

"That genre is... acceptable. Better than some other types."

"Rock is good, too. I like it."

"Do you have any particular favorite bands? In any genre, I mean."

They both proceeded to name a few, Cascada and various others Gaara had heard of numbering among Hinata's, while Gaara's favorites were dominated by people like Skillet, and various other rock-type bands, with a couple of odd ones like Linkin Park mixed in. They did agree on one thing: Aqua should just go crawl in a corner somewhere and never be allowed within 10 miles of a microphone again. Gaara said this, and smirked when Hinata giggled so much she snorted.

"Oh! Sorry..." She covered her mouth with her hands.

He shrugged, repressing the smirk. "It's fine." Actually, it had been a while since anyone really laughed at what he said. Gaara... didn't joke much.

"My little sister Hanabi likes Aqua, and she plays it all the time. My cousin has threatened more than once to destroy all her CDs and the CD player."

"Temari likes Aqua, too, and I'm not sure if Kankuro does or not..."

Hinata got a strange look on her face. Somewhere between amusement and nervousness.

_SLAM_

The car door opened, and Temari jumped in. Kankuro pulled his door shut so hard that the entire car shook.

He turned around and glared at Gaara, and Hinata could sense the chakra in Gaara's sand awakening, ready to jump and defend him if necessary.

"What-" Kankuro growled, "were you thinking, giving me the job of stopping the fangirls?"

Hinata could feel major killing intent coming from Kankuro.

She supposed he was being absolutely serious, but somehow found it extremely funny.

"You got fangirl duty?" asked Gaara, surprised. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize Matsuri was out."

"On a mission _you_ gave her!"

"I did?"

"Yeah, you did, and now I'm gonna have to go fix Karasu! Do you know one of them bit me?"

He pulled up his sleeve, upon which a rather deep looking bitemark was evident on his forearm.

Gaara blinked. "Matsuri doesn't get injured, is it that bad?"

"It's because she's one of them! They don't want to hurt one of their own!"

"Matsuri's a fangirl?" Gaara was completely surprised.

Temari turned around, apparently forgetting she was driving at the time. "You haven't noticed? Fool."

She smacked him. So fast that the sand didn't quite make it. Gaara winced. He hadn't expected it.

Temari grinned at Hinata. "I took lessons from Lee. Isn't he great? Shikamaru was a little annoyed. Sure Lee's nerdy, but he's totally nice, don't you think?"

Hinata nodded, amazed.

"So what do you want for lunch?" Temari asked genially.

"Ramen," said Kankuro. Ramen sounded good to Hinata, too.

Gaara shrugged. "Don't care. Just so long as it's good."

"Ramen it is, then," said Temari. "Sorry, Hinata, we haven't got any place here quite as good as Ichiraku's, but we have something close."

They went to a small place that did remind Hinata of Ichiraku's. She picked pork ramen, Kankuro picking chicken. Gaara preferred pork as well, as did Temari.

"I'm original!" said Kankuro, punching the air.

Other than that, no one else really said anything, although Temari did give Gaara a questioning glance. Gaara would tell her later what had happened between him and Hinata, although it really wasn't much.

Once they finished, Gaara had to return to the Kazekage building "to look as though I'm doing something important, I never do, though. Not after about 1:00."

"You might want to write a reply to Tsunade-sama," suggested Hinata.

Gaara nodded. "Yeah, actually, I might. Oh, and I've got to set up your medic-nin seminar. Or something along those lines."

Temari and Kankuro were staring at them curiously.

"What?" asked Gaara coldly. To those who knew him, though- Temari and Kankuro- it was a defensive tone.

Temari shook her head. "Never mind. I might as well go home... Kankuro, you done?"

Kankuro glared at Gaara and subconsciously clutched at his wounded arm. "No."

"Maybe I'll get someone else to do that," said Gaara. "I didn't realize you had to do Matsuri's job. But if she's a fangirl, why don't they hurt her, instead of you? She's the enemy and the rival."

Kankuro thought. "Gaara... have you been losing various items lately?"

"Hm... I did lose a pen and a book. I disliked them both, which is why I didn't worry about it too much. Why do you ask?"

Kankuro nodded sagely.

Temari chuckled.

Gaara looked at them, slightly befuddled.

"Am I... missing something here?"

"I'll just take you back to work now," said Temari cheerfully.

"Temari..." said Gaara in a warning tone.

"Oh, my dear little brother, I think you're much better off not knowing."

Did Gaara have a split personality? Hinata wondered. Was he really just so... blind to everyone? So much like a little kid? Or was he the terrifying Kazekage from before? It was the same voice- with completely different tones and different words and different meanings. Which was the real Gaara?

Could he be... both?

She didn't think she'd really ever know.

When they got back to the office, the Kazekage became... the Kazekage again.

"Hinata. What are you planning on teaching them?"

"I do not know yet, Gaara-sama."

He glared at her, and she wasn't sure why.

"Do you have anything at all in mind?"

She paused. He waited.

"I'd like to see what they know, first. Do you have any medical scrolls around here that I could do some research with?"

"Not here, no, but downstairs... I guess you could go to the library. I needed to make a trip there, anyway. I'll show you where it is."

Reticent as ever, Gaara introduced her to library.

"Here is the medical section."

She nodded and thanked him. He disappeared into a particularly legal-looking section.

Temari and Kankuro left long before they did, in fact it was nighttime when they left. That somehow added to the surreal element of the dark buildings entirely made of sand- or so it seemed on the outside. On the inside, though, as Gaara explained, they were reinforced with metal and a small bit of chakra that through a complicated system stayed in the walls and rarely needed to be replenished.

"Hm... we should get dinner, ne?" asked Gaara when Hinata's stomach growled.

Hinata privately wondered if this was a date. She'd never been on one before because lunch with a cousin didn't count. Naruto, of course, never asked her out. Did he even know she was gone? Did _anyone_ care? She hoped she would receive a letter within the next few days. But would she?

This question, plaguing her throughout the lovely dinner, somehow made her food less delicious and Gaara a little harder to talk to.

She wished very badly that the blonde was the one sitting in front of her. Gaara was quieter. She wondered briefly if he had any inkling that she missed her home.

In fact, Gaara had no idea of the kind. He did, however, have enough experience to know that something was bothering her, and not being the type to pry into the life of a girl who would soon leave, he left it alone. He probably couldn't help anyway.

Hinata thought that she might write a letter home, soon. Perhaps they would let her?

She decided to ask him later.

* * *

During the ride home, it was also silent. They were looking opposite directions- her out the window, and Gaara at the road. 

Hinata fidgeted, tapping her feet against the floor and shifting constantly.

Gaara drove in a very stoic manner.

Hinata fidgeted more.

Gaara, still stoic, gripped the steering wheel tighter..

Hinata started poking her fingers together.

Gaara slammed the brakes.

"Can you _please_ not do that?"

Hinata jumped.

"Hm?"

"The... finger-poking thing..." he said, words failing him. He was beginning to get a headache. He usually did around this time of night. Her tapping wasn't helping at all. In fact, it was making things worse.

"Oh. Sorry."

She was acting really nervous, Gaara knew that much. He didn't want to pry.

She solved it for him, though, by asking, "Can I send and receive mail?"

Gaara pondered this. It was a random question, and he didn't have an answer prepared. "I'll ask Tsunade about that tomorrow," he said. "I'll look into it."

She relaxed. "Thanks."

And silence fell again.

* * *

Filler... sorry. I just need them to talk before they can fall in love, you know. I'm starting to know where this is going. It might take me a while to get there, though... I'm getting bad grades in school. 

Matsuri: -glomps Gaara- "I forgot if any of you guys asked..."

Hinata: -raises hand shyly- "... I did..."

Matsuri: "Well, you're still scared of him!" -turns back to readers- "This is probably my Christmahanakwanzakah present to you. Although since I have time, maybe I'll update again before the 25th. So please give me a Christmas present and review!"


	7. Brave, and Kind, and Strong, and Caring

_Dear Tsunade,_

_Hinata would like to know if she can send and recieve mail. Can she, and if so, how?_

_Sincerely,_

_Gaara_

"So very... short," said Hinata.

Gaara nodded. "It's not like I have to persuade her of anything yet."

"Yet?"

"Well, obviously, I'll have to persuade her to let you send mail if she says no."

Hinata just sort of looked at him. He must have had a split personality or something, because he could be innocent and clueless one moment, cruel, taunting, and cold the next, or just plain caring another. It was very strange.

She supposed it was just the way of the geniuses, as Neji was like this too. Then again she'd never heard that Uchiha Sasuke was caring.

"Thanks," she said, remembering that he was probably waiting for it.

"It's nothing," said Gaara, shrugging it off.

Which was almost true, it really wasn't much, but it was kind of him all the same.

A short silence followed.

"Did you finish your examination of our medical procedures?" asked Gaara awkwardly.

Hinata nodded fervently. "Oh, yes. And I have discovered some things I would like to teach. When would you like to hold the seminar?"

Gaara thought. "I don't know how long the Hokage wants me to keep you for, possibly a few months? So whenever you are ready to set it up. I'll take you down to the archives again if necessary... Sorry, but you can't be there without Temari, Kankuro, or me."

Hinata nodded. Of course she'd need supervision when looking through the history and possible secrets/ scandals of Sunagakure. "Can I go down there again today?"

"I believe so. I've got a meeting to go to, and you'll have to wait until after that, but yes, you can go down again today." He looked at the clock. "That meeting starts in a half an hour. I've got to go get ready. You can stay here."

Hinata nodded.

"You can do whatever. None of the stuff here currently is confidential. I'd prefer it if you didn't leave this office, because it's rather safe in here and I actually am conducting this meeting with the Mist village. They are our allies and not yours. If they knew that you were here, with the Byakugan no less, you'd be kidnapped or killed immediately. They are often on the edge of breaking treaties."

Hinata nodded.

"Just watch out."

And with that, he left, .

Hinata eyed his large, comfy looking chair.

Would she be allowed to sit in it?

She wasn't sure.

Looking around quickly with her Byakugan, no one was nearby, and so she stood up, aiming for the comfy-looking chair.

On Gaara's desk were a lot of papers. They didn't look very important, and actually rather boring, so she ignored them, and watched the people go around on the street from the window behind her. She saw several peculiar couples, Kankuro and some girl, and once a dog being chased by a boy who was being chased by a larger girl who was being chased by her mother (they eventually caught the dog).

Other than that, though, nothing interesting happened until the door creaked.

Hinata barely stifled an "Eep!" as she slipped off the chair and under the desk, which had a front that went down just far enough to hide her but not obstruct her vision... of someone's feet, that is. A pair of feet walked in. They walked toward the desk, and stepped back a little ways. Hinata didn't want to activate her Byakugan- she was hiding her chakra, and it was tricky to use it and hide it all at once.

"Hm," said the person. Hinata thought it sounded like Gaara, but he wasn't supposed to be back this early. What if it was a Mist nin? She started to hyperventilate and her fingers came together almost magnetically. Her heart started to beat faster and faster as the feet approached the desk.

The person did something very strange.

_He's going to find me!_

They leant over it.

_I'm going to be kidnapped again!_

"Ah, there you are," said Gaara, who looked rather peculiar upside down. "Hiding?"

So relieved it was him she could cry, she nodded.

"Hm," he said again. "You can come out, you know. I've got to put my feet there."

Hinata crawled out, feeling slightly foolish.

"Thank you," he said. "I've got to do some stuff here, but I can take you down to the archives in a bit. Is that all right?"

Hinata let her mind wander while Gaara did his job. She had found yesterday that daydreaming was a perfectly good way to spend her time.

_Butterflies fluttered around them as they picnicked on a grassy hilltop... somewhere... Hinata wasn't sure where. One landed on her finger, and she watched it avidly. Until Naruto suddenly appeared, lying next to her._

"_Hinata-chan," said Naruto dreamily, pushing a lock of her hair behind her ears. Surprisingly, she didn't faint, or blush like a lunatic. "I love you and I can't believe I've been so obsessed with Sakura-chan for all those years when you were right there in front of me."_

"_I love you, too, Naruto," Hinata said, entranced by the way his golden locks shone in the sunlight. "You're so brave, and kind, and strong, and caring, and..._"

"Hinata?"

She woke abruptly.

"Hm?" Above her, staring into her eyes, were not Naruto's vibrant blue eyes, but a pari of cold, light blue eyes. And alas, these cold blue eyes did not have golden shining locks above them, but dark red ones.

Hinata sighed sadly.

"You can go down to the library now," Gaara said slowly.

Oops... he'd probably been calling her for a while.

They walked silently down to the libary.

Gaara led her right toward the medical section, and just before he turned to the legal one, he said softly to her, "By the way, you talk in your sleep."

Just as Hinata began to register the potential horror of this fact, Gaara walked away, saying, "Brave, and kind, and strong, and caring, and..."

Hinata gaped after him.

No... he couldn't be...

* * *

Matsuri: -glomps Gaara-

Gaara: Haven't we had this conversation before? Get. Off.

Matsuri: Humor me... it was my birthday yesterday:(

Gaara: Next chapter?

Hinata: -puppydog eyes-

Matsuri: All right. Next chapter. Deal. :)

Please review!

(And it really was my birthday yesterday.)


	8. Three Weeks!

Matsuri-chaaan is back! With a new name I'm sure very few of you will understand- I do explain it on my profile, if you're curious. And really, I don't care what you call me- ToasterGurl, Matsuri, Matsuri-chaaaan, The Spectator Ion, SI (which is, also quite amusingly, Systeme International, or the metric system for us Americans.) Just so long as it's in a review!

In this chapter I do a lot of going back and forth between Gaara and Hinata's thoughts... if it isn't clear at some point who is thinking what, please let me know.

* * *

Hinata blushed, mortified, when Gaara came back to say that he had to leave.

He smirked all the way through dinner, and when they got home, Temari and Kankuro saw his face and exchanged scared glances.

"He heard me talk in my sleep," said Hinata to Temari later. "About the boy I have a crush on."

Temari gasped and frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry. He can be a little mean at times. He won't tell anyone, though. He's not like that."

Hinata frowned at this. He was so cruel, though... He didn't seem like he would have a kindness like that in him.

_Duh, Hinata_. She mentally smacked herself. He took her in. He didn't have to. Sure he was getting _paid_, and majorly, by her dad, but the task of babysitting a sometimes-cranky Hyuuga heiress was not easy. Of course he could be kind.

Temari patted Hinata on the shoulder. "Don't worry. No one that you haven't told will know. Gaara won't tell, and I certainly won't."

She checked the clock.

"Now, go sleep, 'kay, Hinata-chan?" Temari pushed her out the door.

Hinata went to bed.

The next morning, she was awoken by Gaara knocking on her door.

"Hinata," he said. "Tsunade replied."

Hinata jumped up. "Did you read it?"

"Yes."

"Can I?"

"Yes."

"Right now?"

"Yes. Here you go."

He handed her the paper.

_Dear Gaara,_

_Hinata can indeed send messages to her family. If she wishes, they shall be kept confidential and we won't read them, if they are to her family or something... But of course, if the contact that she wishes to reach is suspicious, the letter will be read. _

_Just seal it the same way you always do and let her write the recipient's name/names on the outside so I can deliver it._

_And of course, she can receive mail in this manner as well. I trust you understand?_

_Sincerely,_

_Tsunade_

Hinata smiled.

"Thanks so much," she said.

Gaara decided her smile was pleasant to look at.

"Can I write a letter to them now?" she asked, eager to talk to her family. She hadn't realized just how much she missed them.

Oh, yes. She missed Hanabi being alternately bratty and sweet... Neji and his strange switches from kind to cruel, and her father, who generally meant well but didn't quite come out looking like it.

Gaara checked his watch. "Can it wait till we get to the office? You've got to get ready to go."

That was when she remembered she was wearing her pajamas. She blushed brightly and with a quick apology slammed the door in his face.

Kankuro walked by at that moment. Gaara stood there, sort of confused, idly staring at her door.

"Dude, you freaked her out."

"I did?"

"Yah, you said that she had to get ready and then she remembered she was in her pj's. Girls don't like that sort of thing."

"... Oh."

Gaara mentally filed this under Weird Things Kankuro Explained To Me That I Thought He Was Too Stupid To Know.

* * *

At the office, Hinata was furiously writing, then scratching out stuff and politely requesting another sheet of paper. 

_Dear Neji-nii-san,_

_I hope you are well. How are you guys doing? I miss you. Write me back._

_Love lots, _

_Hinata._

That had a large "X" over it.

_Dear Hanabi,_

_Hi, sis. I hope you're not too swamped with Academy work to write me_

Another "X".

_Dear Daddy,_

_How are you guys doing? _

Hinata frowned, and then scribbled that one all out.

_Dear Hyuu_ (Also scribbled out.)

_Dear Daddy, Neji-nii-san, and Hanabi,_

_How are you? I hope this finds you well. I'm doing fine in Suna. I'm going to be teaching a class on medicines! Isn't that cool? _

_I miss you. Write me back soon, please._

_Lots of love,_

_Hinata._

She decided that this was the best one and rolled it up, wrote _Hyuuga Hiashi, Hyuuga Neji, and Hyuuga Hanabi_ on it, and passed it over to Gaara.

He nodded and put it in the sealing scroll, along with another note labeled _Tsunade_.

"There," said Gaara. "I am expecting my reply in... 20 minutes. You can expect yours in a little bit later than that, but probably not by much. Did you need to go down to the library today?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I know what needs to be done, and I can do it."

"Good," said Gaara, "because I wouldn't have been able to take you down today. I'm writing up a treaty. Or rather, editing one my council wrote. I don't like to have them write my treaties."

"Oh," said Hinata ambiguously.

She sat down in her usual chair and willed herself not to nap, or even daydream.

"Hey," said Gaara suddenly. "Temari and Kankuro help me out sometimes. You can too, if you're bored. Do you mind?"

Hinata shook her head. "I don't mind. Do you want me to get you something?"

"That big red book over there. It's a dictionary. Give me the definition of... oh, I don't know how to pronounce it." He held up the paper, frowning and pointing at a word that was indeed very long. "That word. In-vet-er-ate?"

Hinata smiled. Perhaps he really was human after all. She obligingly looked up the word and read its definition.

"Of long standing, deep-rooted."

"Oh..." He began to scribble on his paper once again. "Thanks."

"'Welcome."

Hinata idly flipped through the dictionary, and Gaara began to randomly ask her what certain words meant, or whether she knew a word with a certain meaning. It was rather like being the one who got asked questions about crosswords.

By the end of the day, Hinata had a headache from all the tiny print, and she supposed Gaara had, too.

"Dinner?" he asked her, running a hand through his hair.

She nodded. She was hungry.

And, as usual, they ate dinner at a nearby restaurant in comfortable silence and went home.

* * *

The next morning, Temari woke Hinata in a rush. 

"Hinata, I've got to go on a mission. Last minute thing. I'm so sorry- do you think you'll be all right, all by yourself with my brothers? If you're worried, I can find a replacement..." Temari said, although by her tone Hinata guessed that if there were a replacement, he/she would probably not succeed on this mission.

"I'll be fine," said Hinata automatically. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay," said Temari. "I'll be gone for the next three weeks, though..."

Hinata blinked. Three weeks? "It's fine. Don't worry about me." She smiled at Temari. "Thanks, though. For considering me."

"You're welcome. Why wouldn't I?"

Temari proceeded to give Hinata a list of instructions, which included smacking Kankuro if necessary.

"I couldn't hit him!"

"Yes, you can, Hinata-chan. And you will."

Hinata didn't believe that, but she nodded nonetheless and Temari took off. After the door slammed shut, Hinata leaned her head back and groaned.

Three _weeks_?!

Stuck with Gaara and Kankuro by herself, with no girls present for _three whole weeks_?!

She could be mature. She could be calm...

Later.

But for now, she just buried her head in her pillow and stayed there for quite some time.

* * *

"Hinata," called Gaara, knocking lightly on her door. "Are you ready?"

She got up from her hiding place and opened the door, letting herself out. "Yes."

"Then let's go."

He strode over to the front and walked out, leaving a hurried looking Kankuro stumbling around putting on his shoes.

"I... woke up late," he said in response to Hinata's questioning glance. "Plus, Gaara doesn't wake people up as nicely as Temari. And that's saying something." He scratched his head, and a small pile of sand fell to the floor. "I even took a shower and I'm still covered in sand..." He frowned.

Hinata giggled. Kankuro relaxed a little.

"Yep, nothing like the smell of bloodied sand in the morning..."

Hinata giggled, but inwardly realized how very long the next three weeks were going to be.

* * *

Forget the next three weeks. This entire day was long. 

Hinata was currently writing up her lesson plans for her seminar.

Okay, fine.

She wasn't, okay?

She was actually trying to draw a very detailed picture of what her children with Naruto would look like but of course she wasn't thinking so far ahead as children because they really had to get married first...

Big blue eyes...

Not that one can add the color blue with black and white pencil, but she could try, couldn't she? Shading and stuff? Hopefully the children wouldn't have the Byakugan.

But one of the traits she did like about the Hyuuga was the pretty, shiny black hair. Hers was more like indigo (and she hoped to heaven that the children wouldn't get it, because if they did that would be unfortunate. Blue eyes and blue hair? Yuck. But the black hair- now that would be pretty.)

"I see you're working hard on your lesson plans," said Gaara.

She jumped and covered her paper in a guilty way.

He chuckled. She looked up, startled. "Relax."

She stared at him as he idly walked to his desk.

He'd looked so amused. It was almost... cute?

No, no. Noxious fumes of gas must be coming from those ancient scrolls. Or at least some kind of poisoning. She didn't know what they used to process the scrolls in front of her into paper (that she was currently glaring at).

Gaara? Ex-psycho-murderer... cute?

_But his smile. It's almost sweet. _

She imagined that if it were bigger, it would rival Naruto's in cuteness.

_No! No! Nothing rivals Naruto's smile! It's impossible. It's so bright and..._

Convincing herself that all she had just thought was a product of toxic off-gassing, she went back to doodling on the side of her paper.

"I won't tell anyone. It's none of my business. So you like Naruto-san?

She glared at him, but blushing like mad, she nodded.

He smirked and pushed his bangs out of his face arrogantly. "I see. And so, is he your boyfriend?"

She bit her lip.

Gaara, for his part, managed to notice that this made her uncomfortable. "So, no?"

She was going to _eat _her own _face _if she didn't stop with the lip-biting. So he commanded her. "Stop biting your lip."

Her mouth dropped open. "Don't boss me around."

Embarrassment could quite quickly turn to anger, he realized, and backed up. Only a little- the Kazekage couldn't ever, ever be perceived as weak.

"You were biting your lip. It was bothering me," he said haughtily.

"Bothering _you_?" she asked in a dangerous tone of voice.

_Stand your ground, Gaara. _ "Yes," he said impetuously. "It was bothering me." _Not to mention hurting you, but of course that doesn't matter to you, now does it?_

"Well, what do you care?!"

As for Hinata, she was attempting to cover up her embarrassment with anger._ It worked for nii-san, didn't it?_

"I don't know," said Gaara, turning back to his in-progress treaty. "And I don't care. You stopped biting your lip."

"Well-" she said, and stopped. There was absolutely nothing she could say now, now that he had made it clear that whatever she said would have no effect.

So she sat back down, angry, and bit her lip hard, wincing afterwards.

"...Ouch."

"You bit your lip again, didn't you," he stated.

"...Yes."

"And it hurt. Why do you think I told you to stop?" he said, lifting a so-pale-it-was-hardly-there eyebrow at her. "Pain is bad, Hinata."

Oh... he'd just been... caring about her. _Oh_. She felt like a jerk.

Sighing, she stood up and bowed. "I apologize, Kazekage-sama," using his proper title to make her apology official and more formal.

"There's no need for that. Sit. And please, work on your seminar, why don't you? It doesn't seem like it's going to be very hard, considering how very advanced Konoha medical technology is, and how very far behind ours is. I can understand, however-" and here his lips twitched in a funny sort of way, almost a smile, "-how very boring paperwork is. But you get more time to doodle if you finish it fast, don't you?"

He was teasing her, but she would not respond. "I'll get right to it, Kazekage-sama," she said coldly, sitting down again and vowing to work properly this time.

And oddly enough, Gaara thought he liked "Gaara-sama" better.

* * *

Hinata: -glomps Gaara- :) "Yay! He- he is cute!" -blushes bright red-

Gaara: -face suddenly matches hair- "Um, thanks, Hinata... um, you're... pretty, too?"

Matsuri-chaaan: "Aw!"

Yeah, I'm kinda tired today... went to the dentist. Which is why this AN isn't longer, funnier, or in general better, but I swear I haven't forgotten anyone who asked to glomp Gaara. I'm just too tired- plus, I promised Hinata. xD Yes, I am crazy.

And don't forget- review and you can glomp Gaara (if you ask nicely). Or you could be featured in the ending AN.

Plus, reviewers get cookies.

TTFN!


	9. Yawn

They had slipped into a routine after a week or so.

Wake up, go to office, read letters, write letters, and work on treaty (Gaara) and seminar (Hinata). Go out to lunch with Kankuro, go back to office, and work more. Go to dinner, and go home. Sleep. Repeat day after day after day after long, dull, day...

Hinata found herself tiring of it.

"Tonight, I am cooking dinner," she announced in the car one morning.

Kankuro and Gaara blinked at her.

"Uh... okay," said Kankuro, first to respond. "If you want to. That's cool with me."

Gaara nodded his assent.

"Can I go home early, then?" asked Hinata. "After lunch?"

She was sick of the office. Sick of awkward quiet. Sick of sitting in one place all day.

And, most definitely, sick of chiropractic techniques (her current lesson).

"Yeah, sure," said Gaara. "Are you going to need anything else?"

Hinata thought. "Well, I'll need some money-" she blushed- she'd never had to ask anyone but her dad for money, and it was embarrassing for a girl who had grown up fairly rich- "to buy ingredients and stuff. Can you spare..." she calculated quickly in her head general prices- "about 2,000 yen each?" (A/N: That's about twenty American dollars, for those of you who don't have a currency calculator in your heads. I don't, either. It just seemed wrong to put it in dollars. They're Japanese!)

They nodded, a little shocked. Hinata had noticed that change of routine tended to do that to them. They'd been absolutely silent since Temari left.

"Thanks, guys," she said, smiling.

Gaara hadn't seen her smile in so long. He'd actually... missed it.

"'Welcome," replied Kankuro, smiling in return. "Thanks for offering to make us dinner. Whatcha gonna make, anyway?"

Hinata shrugged.

"Dunno yet. Any recipe books at your house?"

"Under the second cupboard from the sink on the right," Gaara replied.

Hinata stared at him. He shrugged.

"Temari digs them out every once in awhile."

"Oh... Do you guys have any favorites?"

"Ooh, make..." Kankuro thought. "Yakisoba. That sounds good."

"All right," said Hinata, and turned to Gaara. "Kazekage-sama? Any suggestions?"

"Yakisoba sounds good to me, as well."

"Okay, then. I'll make that."

* * *

It came time for them to drop off Hinata at their house, and they did so without any major issues. Each brother took out their wallets, and handed her 2000 yen each.

"Thank so much, guys!" she said happily. "Can you point me in the direction of the market?"

Gaara and Kankuro each pointed to the left.

_Okay, then_...

She set off in that direction with an shopping list, and found the market easily.

What was not so easy was finding ingredients for food in such a busy market. She wandered through the various stalls, but eventually through the help of several kind strangers located the stalls she was looking for, purchased the correct amount of ingredients necessary, and made her way home.

Hinata liked to cook. Scratch that- she loved to cook. Many a lazy afternoon of her childhood (at least the ones her dad didn't force her to train during) had been spent following the cook around the huge Hyuuga kitchen and watching him slice things and drop them into large boiling pots. The cook- Hideki, his name was- was a kind man despite the fact that she was a Main Branch member and he was a Branch, and often let her "taste-test" things (after he made sure they were delicious). He also let her mix things together, and, if she was very good and careful, he would allow her to basically cook lunch under his careful guidance.

She loved to cook, mostly because of Hideki. And she was good at it- with Hideki around.

Of course, she did not have Hideki around currently. And so, she did not have any clue how things would turn out.

Well, it was an adventure, right?

She applied herself to the task, cooking and watching and mixing and yes, taste-testing.

The results of the latter surprised her.

It was... edible! Better than edible, actually.

It was good.

Oh, it wasn't gourmet, and it certainly wasn't as yummy as anything Hideki ever made, but... it was food and it wasn't disgusting.

She was proud of herself, really... but the real test was whether or not Gaara and Kankuro liked it.

* * *

Gaara sincerely hoped Hinata had made a _really good _dinner.

Why?

Well, all there was to it was that Kankuro had fangirl duty again.

And was currently standing, drenched in a strange-looking liquid (Gaara didn't ask), clothes ripped, bruised and lacerated all over, in his office- although Gaara was pretty sure that he was steaming just a little bit, at least on his very, very red face.

"Couldn't handle a couple of teenage girls, Kankuro?" asked Gaara idly, inspecting his own fingernails.

"They're _evil_, Gaara!" cried Kankuro. "And not just teenage girls! Kunoichi!" He turned around, as if something on his back would prove his point. Whatever it happened to be.

Ah.

In large letters on his back: KICK ME

Gaara would not, could not laugh. "You mean they got close enough to you to write that?"

"There were hordes of them! Droves! They came like bees! Like stampeding wildebeests!" yelled Kankuro. "I didn't stand a chance!"

Gaara had to- he chuckled.

"Well, Hinata's probably finished making dinner by now. So we better go."

Kankuro nodded, scowling and mulish-looking.

"I hope yakisoba still sounds good."

Kankuro was silent. (For once. And Gaara appreciated it.)

* * *

"Eep!"

"Fangirl duty," replied Gaara to Hinata's shocked stare.

"I'm so sorry for you," said Hinata, recovering from the scare.

" 'S all right. Just... the food better be good."

"It certainly smells good." Gaara ended his statement with a nod at her.

She blushed. "Thanks."

"Of course, I haven't tasted it yet..." he said, just so he wouldn't sound too soft.

"Oh, well, um," said Hinata, poking her fingers together. "I set the table, so... I guess we can go in there and eat if you want to."

"Yeah!" said Kankuro, who was practically drooling. Hinata was flattered.

"O-okay."

They sat down to eat, chorusing "Itadakimasu!" politely.

Kankuro's eyes widened after the first bite.

"This is good!" he said happily.

Gaara nodded his agreement. "As good as it smells."

Hinata's face returned to its pinkishly embarrassed color.

"Oh, um, well, thank you..."

Since the boys were avidly enjoying her food, Hinata did too.

* * *

Kankuro pointed out that there were some different cartons of ice cream in the freezer, and so, while Hinata did not necessarily think that Hideki would have paired those things together in the same meal, they decided to end their meal with that.

Gaara sat quietly contemplating chocolate ice cream. Hinata's favorite- strawberry- matched her face, since Kankuro had pretty much eaten the entire thing happily. Kankuro had the Neopolitan ice cream, which he eagerly mixed together.

"Kankuro," said Gaara, "that's gross. Stop it. I'm sure you're scaring Hinata."

"Um... er, my little sister Hanabi does that all the t-time," said Hinata, trying to be diplomatic. "I don't mind it."

Gaara sighed. "Well, he's scaring me..."

Hinata giggled. Kankuro protested.

"It's good!"

Gaara raised an eyebrow. "Chocolate and vanilla is fine mixed together. Strawberry and vanilla are fine mixed together. But strawberry and chocolate? Nuh-uh. Again, it's gross."

"No..." said Hinata timidly, venturing her way into family banter for one of the first times. "It's like strawberries dipped in chocolate. That's good."

"No, it isn't," Gaara replied. "It's like dipping _fake _strawberries into _fake _chocolate. Which," he added resolutely, as though it were the final word on the subject, "-is gross."

Hinata frowned. Kankuro had a counter, though.

"But the vanilla ties it all together," he said. "See, chocolate tastes good with vanilla, and strawberry tastes good with vanilla. So, the vanilla is like the common ground and then it tastes good."

Gaara considered this. "That makes no sense," he concluded.

Hinata had to agree.

Kankuro shrugged. "Whatever, dude. Your loss."

"No. I'm eating chocolate ice cream, and you're eating something disgusting. I think we know who won here," said Gaara, taking another bite of chocolate ice cream to prove his point. "Yum."

Hinata smiled. Gaara was surprised- had he really made her smile? And it occurred to him... earlier, had she laughed because of what he said?

He wondered why he hadn't noticed the laugh before.

_Maybe_... he thought. _It just felt natural at the time. Maybe it didn't need to be noticed_.

But really, when had something like that ever happened before?

He finished his ice cream in silence. Hinata and Kankuro chattered in the background, and finished theirs quickly as well.

Hinata, for her part, was absolutely exhausted in the type of way that only hard work produces.

"Going to come to the office with us tomorrow?" asked Gaara, pretending he didn't necessarily care about the answer.

Hinata nodded, yawning.

Kankuro, seeing this, ended up yawning too. "I'm tired," he said by way of explanation.

Hinata and Kankuro watched Gaara.

Gaara did not yawn. He refused to yawn. He would not yawn. Would not give in the the tickling feeling in his lower jaw that if he were weaker, would force him to open his mouth wide...

"I. Don't. Yaw-ahhhhhhhn." He covered his mouth and glared at them.

Hinata couldn't help it. She giggled, and the giggle got bigger and bigger until she was dissolving in peals of laughter and it had spread to Kankuro, who was busting up laughing. And then even Gaara was chuckling at his own expense.

"I guess you guys had better go to bed, then," said Gaara.

"Goodnight," said Kankuro.

"Aren't you going to bed, too?" asked Hinata, having noted he said "you guys" instead of "we".

Gaara shook his head.

Okay...

Later, in the hall, she asked Kankuro about it.

"He usually sleeps, doesn't he?"

Kankuro nodded. "Sometimes, though," he explained, "Gaara just can't sleep. Old habits die hard, y'know? Most of the time he doesn't have any trouble. But yeah. It's hard for him sometimes. I guess today is one of those days. We never really know. I don't think there's any sort of trigger for it... but sometimes he just can't." He shrugged. "He's an unpredictable guy."

Hinata nodded, feeling sorry for Gaara.

As if Kankuro sensed this, he went on to say, "But don't... pity him, or anything like that. He'd hate that, and besides it isn't actually a problem. He doesn't mind it."

They had reached Hinata's bedroom.

"Goodnight," Hinata said.

"Goodnight, Hinata-chan," said Kankuro, ruffling her hair. She squeaked.

Kankuro laughed. "I've decided. You're my little sister now, you know that?"

Hinata, flattered and blushing, could only smile and rephrase what she had said earlier. "Goodnight, Kankuro-nii-san."

He waved at her and walked off to his room down the hall.

She shut the door, unable to shut a small voice out of her mind.

_Kankuro was right... they really do feel like my family_.

* * *

Matsuri-chaaaan here. :D Nice to see you guys after so long! Just want to say... please review. And I noticed a weird pattern... shorter chapters, more reviews. I wonder why that is... Oh, well. This chapter is of average length. So it should get an average number of reviews, right? For this story, that's about ten. So, that's when I will next update it. Ten reviews for this chapter. And when I have the next chapter written. Sound fair?

Oh, and out of curiousity- who yawned at the part when they were all yawning?

I did, writing it. And I'm about to yawn now. Yawn yawn yawn. (Bwahaha! Now you're yawning, too.)

And, as promised:

Mesa-Mesa: -glomps Gaara-

Gaara: -resigned to his fate-

Hinata: "Hey!" -pouts-

Matsuri: "Your turn was last chapter, remember?"

Hinata: "Yeah, I guess... O-okay, Mesa-Mesa."

Gaara: "Seriously, does no one care what I think of all this?"

Mesa-Mesa: -squishes Gaara tighter- "Nope!" :D

Matsuri: "And don't forget to take the poll on my page! Pretty please? If you could pick any guy from Naruto to give Hinata a flower, who would you choose? It's for my story Drabblishness... And currently there's a tie going."


	10. Oops

* * *

This chapter pretty much assumes that the second movie never took place and that none of the Sand Siblings have ever seen an ocean. Now, carry on. :D

* * *

Another few days passed without event.

Hinata and Kankuro were sitting on the couch watching television at home on a day when neither Gaara nor Kankuro had to go in to the building. The day had been lazy and drowsy and absolutely perfect. Neither Kankuro or Hinata had done much. It was late in the afternoon- the sun would be setting in a short while.

No one had any idea where Gaara was.

That is, until a carrot hit Hinata in the back of the head.

"Hey!" she said, rubbing where it hit. "That- that hurt!" She turned around to glare at a snickering Gaara, who they had only just realized was there.

He shrugged. "Couldn't pass it up. You weren't paying attention. You should train more. I'm off to train, myself. Want to come with? We can spar."

He wasn't really sure why he invited her. Maybe just to see how good her skills were with the Byakugan.

(A voice in the back of his head mentioned it could possibly be that he wanted to spend time with her as well.)

Hinata nodded fiercely, trying to prove that she could be a good ninja too. Kankuro shrugged.

"Bye, guys."

"Cool," said Gaara, smirking and picking up his gourd. "I'm leaving in... five minutes."

Hinata ate as fast as she could.

* * *

She followed Gaara out the door.

"Where do you train, exactly?"

"Today... I'm not going to let you have the advantage. I'm going to train at the sand dunes. You can see for miles and miles and miles," he said bluntly. "Nothing in the way. Just open space."

She glared at him. "That's your advantage, then. Sand everywhere."

Gaara smirked. "Then you just have to deal with it, don't you?"

Hinata's jaw dropped in outrage. "Hey! That's not fair!"

"Good. Anger," said Gaara. "Use that."

They had reached the sand dunes.

"Rules?" asked Hinata.

"None," said Gaara. "Starting now."

Sand curled up around her ankles. She jumped up and bounced back, but realized... all the ground was sand. How to stay up and not get sucked in?

She needed something to stand on... but there wasn't anything, and she couldn't keep bouncing like this forever in a defensive strategy. She couldn't keep floating on air... could she?

A picture of a crater popped into her mind. _Nii-san_! _Rotation _repelled things- **_chakra _**repelled things-

She pushed all her chakra to her feet and floated a bit... just off the sand. Gaara blinked.

"Hyuuga chakra control. Impressive," he said. And then suddenly she was surrounded by about five Gaaras... made of sand.

Hinata bounced up around them, again pushing all her chakra to her feet. She kicked one, and it returned to a puddle of sand on the ground.

_Okay, what have I learned?_

_He's... A long distance fighter... like Shino-kun... _

_Shino-kun says long-distance fighters are bad at close range- which means I just need to get closer-_

_Oh, but wait_...

_His sand will get me then, too. Do I just need to be faster?_

_No, I'm not fast enough. What can I do?  
_

_I can... well, ninjutsu will take him out easily. Wouldn't it?  
_

_Or a genjutsu..._

She decided to go for ninjutsu, opting for several clones to see what would happen.

He encircled himself in sand. The Hinata clones (and Hinata among them), propelling themselves off the ground in a maneuver that was sure to waste her chakra fast, attacked it and cut through.

Good- he had blinked. The clones moved in, and Hinata knew this was her final chance to get him- she'd likely run out of chakra soon.

She moved in and cut off several big chakra points. Gaara winced and clutched his arm... and then melted.

"Gotcha," he said from behind her, sand circling up around her legs, and winding around her arms and finally her torso until she was covered in it- his trademark Sand Coffin.

Wait, when had the clones disappeared?

"I already got all your clones," he said as if he had read her mind. "_You _moved in close. They didn't."

She sighed, ashamed.

"Keep in mind when using ninjutsu and genjutsu what your enemy is seeing," he said quietly. "If they see one leader, they will assume it's you. If they see one that hangs back, they will assume it's you. You must move as one with your clones. Remember what Naruto did during the Chuunin exams to your cousin? Try something like that next time."

She nodded.

"But... other than that," he said, and smiled. "Your chakra control is excellent, nearly perfect. Normal shinobi can't do half of what you did. But I bet you knew that. And I'd also be willing to bet quite a bit that you are nearly out now."

Again, she nodded, keeping her head low. Shame prevented her from meeting his eyes. She'd been so close...

"I have an offer for you," he said.

"Yes?"

She was still trapped in the sand coffin. She recognized it as his personal sand- it smelled of blood, of death- reminding her of the Chuunin exams. She coughed a little and tried not to puke, remembering the gruesome fate of those nins...

_He could kill me now- no one would ever know- he'd tell everyone I was lost in the desert-_

Fear like that of the day she first saw his Sand Coffin swamped her-

And then she looked up into his eyes.

They weren't the eyes of the lonely murderer she remembered from so long ago.

They were Gaara's eyes... and now they looked shocked and confused, even if the rest of his face didn't.

The sand's grip on her loosened, and she fell out onto the hard, warm sand.

"Hinata- I'm sorry," he said quickly.

* * *

She'd looked so scared of him that moment- it had passed quickly, but still... it had brought up old, painful feelings that he never wanted to remember again. Had thought he'd forgotten.

The image of her eyes, pale, wide with fear... he wasn't sure if it would ever leave him. _ So... vulnerable_

Instinctively, he let go of her and apologized.

"I- I didn't mean to-" _scare you_.

* * *

Hinata was never sure what made her do it. Maybe it was the hint of fear and sorrow in his eyes when he looked at the ground and apologized. Maybe it was the barely audible- but there- wavering quality in his voice when he apologized.

"I- I didn't mean to-" he stuttered out, looking shocked and ashamed.

She reached out and touched his arm. "It's all right," she said, smiling.

* * *

"A-are you okay?" he asked, comforted despite himself by her smile and her words and, yes, her hand on his arm.

She nodded. "Perfectly fine."

"I'm really sorry... I wasn't planning on Sabaku Kyu or anything-"

"I know." Suddenly seeming to realize where her arm was, she blushed fiery red and pulled back.

Despite this, Gaara felt more relieved than he ever had.

"Your offer?" she said, curious.

"Oh," he said. "If- if you don't mind. You see, sparring in the desert at night- it's very... effective, training-wise, than sparring in the desert during the day. But you're out of chakra, so I propose that we rest awhile. And next time... I don't think I'll use sand... your advantage."

He seemed so much more vulnerable now.

And then she realized- she _had _struck his weakness. Of being thought of as a monster again.

"Sure," she said happily, eagerly, trying to help him- at least make the wound a little better, somehow.

"All right, then," he said, but there was no change in his body language.

She sat down on the sand, and it moved just a little under her. It was somehow softer than the rest of the sand, and she realized- with her Byakugan- he was controlling it, making it comfortable to sit on.

It was one of the sweetest things she had ever seen a person do for anyone, let alone herself.

* * *

I sat down cross-legged next to her after moving the sand a little to make it comfortable to sit on- hard sand isn't very fun, but if you add a little chakra into it some how it gets cushioned and- well- yeah. I just figured it'd be more comfortable for the both of us to sit on if I did that. I really didn't want to frighten her any more... her eyes- they'd looked like peoples' had _back then_- I watched her carefully, looking for fear in her body language. I didn't find any.

Then she looked at me, a little shock in her eyes, a blush adorning her cheeks... Against the backdrop of a Sunagakure sunset, it made for a pretty sight.

_What are you thinking, Gaara? That she's _pretty_?_

I guess it was kind of a weird thought. I'm not really the kind of guy that thinks girls are pretty very often... it usually takes a girl who is something else. It just... doesn't usually occur to me. You know. To look at girls to see if they're pretty.

Usually they aren't. Very few of them are attractive... My student Matsuri likes to think she is. But she isn't.

Hinata, though...

Hinata _is _pretty.

She's got that dark hair, and it's really long, and... well, I'll spare you the details of my thoughts. Let's just say she looked really pretty right then.

I moved the sand a little so it was more comfortable, at home in my area of expertise.

She looked amazed.

"You can do a lot with sand, can't you?"

I nodded.

"Like what else can you do?" she asked curiously.

I shrugged. "A lot of things. What would you like to see?"

She thought.

"Well, I don't know what you can do... so what do you like to do?"

I have about three tricks I can do with my sand- creating bunshin, making said bunshin move around, and finally a rather impressive but easy impression of an ocean.

I decided to make the bunshin first. They're a big hit with the village children. That is, the ones that whose parents let them talk to me.

A 3-inch-tall Hinata rose out of the sand. She gasped and reached out to touch it.

I made it mirror the move. A miniature me rose out of the sand as well, next to the Hinata.

"They're so cute," she said, giggling as my bunshin crossed its arms and pouted and hers poked its fingers together and bit its lip.

A Temari and a Kankuro appeared next. The Kankuro-bunshin played with dolls- _puppets!_, I could almost hear him scream in my head, and the Temari-bunshin purposefully waved around a fan making funny little sand tornadoes. And then a Baki, and a Matsuri, and a Naruto...

Just to tease her-

The mini-Naruto walked up to the mini-Hinata and bowed (like he'd ever do that in real life, but I know how girls' minds work because Temari forced me to watch some of her stupid romantic comedies), and they started to waltz around.

The real Hinata beside me turned a bright red that rivaled the sunset and then she glared at me.

A part of me, though... didn't like it. A part of me... wanted for my bunshin to cut in on the couple.

That feeling, I decided, could be examined later. Outwardly, I chuckled.

She made spluttering noises. It was funny.

"Hey- You- I- GAH!" Folding her arms, she turned away from me.

I shrugged. Time to move to the other show-offy trick.

The bunshins disappeared and the sand writhed, forming into waves that came crashing down in front of us.

It was actually pretty... romantic. Note to self- If I ever get a girlfriend, take her here and show her this.

Hinata gasped.

"It looks- it really does look like the ocean!" she exclaimed.

"I wouldn't know," I admitted.

She looked at me. "What?"

"I've never been to a beach... This is just me playing around with the descriptions I've heard. Temari and Kankuro like to see this, too... none of us have been to the beach." I shrugged.

"Sometime when I go back to Konoha," she said dreamily, "I'll get Sakura to invite her team to the beach... you can come too, if you like. If you're there. I bet we could set that up. Nii-san and his team could come too. And my team. Ino-san, too. She'll go if Sasuke's going and then her team can come. The whole group."

The Naruto bunshin returned and sat next to her. She glared at me.

"That's not the only reason I want to go!"

"Lies." I dismissed it with a wave of the hand (which also made the Naruto bunshin disappear).

She stuck her tongue out at me. And then sighed. "Okay, maybe just a little bit..."

It grew quiet. I decided to tease her a little more.

A Hinata bunshin (in a bikini... I guess I really am kind of a pervert) jumped up and down in the waves, waving its arms and sinking under every now and then. A Naruto bunshin dove into the waves and saved her, carrying her ashore.

Her face was steadily turning a neon pink color.

"Oh, no, is she breathing?" I asked, mimicking Naruto's voice. "Maybe I have to do mouth to mouth!"

_THUD_.

Oops.

* * *

Okay! Like I promised. But those ten reviews came so fast that the chapter wasn't even finished!

This chapter, it is AnimeRose93's turn. :D

Gaara: HEY WAIT. I have a complaint about this chapter. Aren't I supposed to be... you know, inhuman?

AnimeRose93: No. You're supposed to be adorably trying not to care.

Gaara: But I'm not supposed to be all mushy like I was in this chapter...

Hinata: You weren't mushy! You were mean! You made me faint!

Gaara: :( I'm really sorry about that.

AnimeRose93: -hugs- I'm sure Hinata-chan will forgive you.

Hinata: BACK OFF! HE'S MINE!... I mean, Gaara- Um- it is okay... I guess.

Matsuri: Now, _that _was really mushy, Gaara.

Gaara: -back to stony-faced stoic-ness... because that's totally a word now- It was an apology.

AnimeRose93: And a very cute one at that.

Gaara: Shouldn't Hinata be the one to hug me?

Hinata: Yes-

Matsuri: -shoves Hinata aside- No. It's AnimeRose93's turn this time. :D You will get plenty of chances to hug Gaara later, Hinata.

AnimeRose93: -hugs- Squee. :)

Please review! (These ending scenes just get longer and longer Dx but I have so much fun writing them. I hope you enjoy reading them.)

Just so you know, here is the lineup so far to hug Gaara (so these people know I remember them): CantThinkOfAnamelol, mwth06. If you would like to add your name to this list, or you are supposed to be on here but I forgot or something, please ask me in a review or something. :D Muchos gracias!

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